" [...] just in case you thought the kitchen was exclusively about old-school bistro cooking, consider the quail on a summer menu: the breasts treated to the flavours of bulgogi, the little legs Korean-fried —all bits nestled on a fiery slaw of green apples and kimchi. A clementine gel was a balm for the heat, while a shower of edible flowers and licorice mint prettied up the brown bird."

At lunchtime in the flourishing Wellington West neighbourhood, bright and cheery Absinthe Café buzzes with energy. A member of Savour Ottawa, signaling its commitment to locally grown and raised foods, Absinthe is the product of chef/owner Patrick Garland’s passion. Lunchtime soars with butternut squash soup perfumed with chai spice and animated by bits of sweet apple, and salad niçoise decked out with moist salmon, sliced hardboiled egg, chunks of soft potato and bite-sized pieces of crisp green beans.Meetings + Incentive Travel Magazine January + February 2017 (p.30)

Absinthe Cafe - Stop by this Wellington West hot spot for French-inspired cuisine and a taste of its namesake drink.

On Monday nights, there's a special fondue menu; go with friends and order cheese and meat varieties to share, then finish with the Valrhona chocolate fondue for dessert.Canadian Living Magazine (497K)

It was while completing his apprenticeship at a Swiss restaurant that Garland encountered traditional cheese fondue (and apparently insulted the chef when he told him it looked nothing like the fondue of his childhood).

So a few years ago, when Garland was looking to do something a little different to intrigue diners at his Hintonburg restaurant on Monday nights, normally a slow night in the industry, he went back to his formative kitchen experiences and began offering fondue, with Fondue Neuchâteloise (cheese fondue), Fondue Bourguignonne (meat fondue), and chocolate fondue.Ottawa Magazine

For the last five years, Absinthe Café (1208 Wellington St. W.) has offered the Cornerstone Burger. It’s not only a juicy whopper involving smoked bacon, a secret sauce and with bacon-and-mushroom poutine on the side, $1 from each plate goes to Cornerstone Housing for homeless women. Over the years, that’s added up to more than $12,000.Ottawa Citizen

"And here’s a shout out to Ottawa chef Patrick Garland of Absinthe, who will compete at the Canadian Culinary Championships next month and who delivered the best creme brûlée of the year, a wee pot of the cool custard with crackling caramel veneer at the end of a lovely Aprillunch."Ottawa Magazine

Chef Patrick Garland of Absinthe Cafe won Ottawa’s 2014 Gold Medal Plates competition Monday night. He will represent Ottawa next year at the Canadian Culinary Championships.

“When we talked about it, discussed it, we had a clear winner by several percentage points which is quite a big margin for Gold Medal Plates. It was a gorgeous dish, some classical things on the plate. There was a lot of imagination.” Head judge James ChattoOttawa Citizen

What to expect from a restaurant named Absinthe? Well, five varieties of this spirit, of course (“Yes, it’s legal, and yes, it does have the real ingredients,” says general manager Thomas McVeigh). You’ll also find seasonal menus and contemporary Canadian soul food to fill your belly, such as the much-loved steak frites and the “Benevolent Burgers” ($1 from which goes to charity). Round out the experience with an extensive wine list, creative cocktails, and a relaxed ambience that lets you laugh loudly with your friends.Where Magazine

When Chef Patrick Garland of Absinthe Cafe (1208 Wellington Street W.) could not decide which candidate he could objectively choose to fill his open garde manger position, he called in other chefs to help him decide: chefs Arup Jana of Allium Restaurant (87 Holland Avenue), Patricia Larkin of Black Cat Bistro (428 Preston Street), and Mark Currie formerly and again of Mariposa Farm (6468 Highway 17).Top Garde Manger at Absinthe Cafe

chef/owner Patrick Garland of Absinthe Café Resto Bar squares off against chef de cuisine Kyle Christofferson of Brookstreet hotel in today’s culinary challenge at Loblaws College Square. Each had to use five secret canned ingredients in a superlative dish to illustrate the need for basic essentials distributed by the Ottawa Food Bank.Ottawa Citizen Article

Try some of the signature drinks at Absinthe. The café stocks a variety of absinthes (including the only genuine one made in Canada, Taboo from Vernon, B.C.) and serves up 13 different cocktails made with the notorious spirit. A little Death in the Afternoon, anyone?Travel Destination: Ottawa

Absinthe is our favourite restaurant in Ottawa and would rate equally high against Montreal (i.e. food mecca!) establishments. While the menu varies seasonally the house specialties are always available, adding to the difficulties of choosing between the new offerings and old favourites. The wine list is well chosen and includes imports not at LCBO that are not over-priced.Service is attentive with an imaginative sampler thrown in to start off the evening where even on busy nights you are never rushed. Reservation times and requested table locations are well respected; street parking is generally not a problem; so expect a hassle-free, pleasant dining experience at Absinthe!Tripadvisor

My daughter and son-in-law recently had their wedding reception at Absinthe. So this may not be the regular kind of review, but they did such a fine job with 75 people that I would like to recognize the good work.

We had the full place to ourselves, with a cocktail reception and sit down meal with a selection of a few appetizers and mains. The sliders and other canapés at the reception were excellent and the sliders in particular got great reviews. The tomato/chevrochon salad and the chilled velouté soup were also excellent. The beef filet main and salmon main were cooked just right.......hard to do especially to nail the beef at medium rare for about 60 people. Hats off to the chef and staff!! Dessert was a chocolate fondant and crème brulée, just the right size.

Tom and the staff did a fabulous job of the service, it flowed just right and the small details were looked after eg.wine top-ups etc. Attentive but not intrusive.

I know it may seem I am basking in the glow of a wedding, but I have been to weddings where the food and service was just passable; Absinthe really aced this evening, well done!!Tripadvisor

My wife and I had a wonderful time at your restaurant last night. It was our first visit and we were impressed with the level of service and the quality of the food. My bison steak was done to perfection and the soups / sides were piping hot. Just how we like them!

Keep up the great work...we plan on visiting again and hope to bring friends and family with us in the future...

The food has never been better than it was last night at the annual Ontario Restaurant Hotel Motel Association (Ottawa) gala (...). Really, a fabulous evening with some of the best cuisine from some of the city's best chefs. (...) From Absinthe, chef Patrick Garland's version of Foie Gras Thee Ways. That's a tempered bacon chocolate bon-bon stuffed with foie gras cream (a show-stopper, believe me), foie gras terrine on a cranberry-walnut crostini with quince gelee on top, and short ribs cooked 49 hours sous vide with seared foie gras on top. Ron Eade, Omnivore's Ottawa

"Ottawa food lovers should be excited about improved service and better wine and spirit knowledge from servers at some of Ottawa's newer restaurants. You'll see more chef-owned restaurants, more integration of molecular elements and more use of current technology without being exclusively avant garde cuisine. I'm excited about the idea of a market proposed for the federal yard west of Preston Street, and food trucks with cool offerings. And, someone has to open a restaurant with family-style eating, a prix fixe menu with sensible wine pairings like BEAST restaurant in Portland, Oregon, or I may have to!"Ottawa Citizen, 2011

"For Absinthe, the personal connection to ingredients is everything. Its menu uses an elaborate system of symbols to pay homage to a small army of local farmers. At a glance, customers can see that eggs are from Bekings, tomatoes are from Rideau View, broccoli is from Rodney Knox, arugula from a guy named Spicoli (meet him, and you’ll know why) — and on it goes. (...) Chef-owner Patrick Garland favours big, bold flavours. His food yells, Life is short, eat up! (...) And then, once you’re braced for the one-two punch, Garland reminds us that life can be as sweet and delicate as the perfect profiterole."Top Ten Restaurants, Ottawa Magazine, 2010

Absinthe is a gem! One of the best meals I've had in a while. The food is inspired and it's ethos is seasonal, local, artisanal and organic, so the menu changes daily. Had the pleasure of enjoying a wine paired tasting menu and it was phenomenal! The atmosphere is chic and modern with a cool vibe. The service was great, friendly and informative. Everyone takes pride in the food here. Most memorable: Mariposa duck breast and morels, Seared tuna and steak tartar.Tripadvisor

“There’s so much bulls–t on the Internet about absinthe,” says Pat Garland, owner of Ottawa restaurant Absinthe (theme self-explanatory). “I will tell you that even I can’t demystify it sometimes for myself.”Adam McDowell, National Post, 2010

Absinthe has established a reputation for serving delicious full-size hanger steak burgers at last year’s event (...). And, as last year, Absinthe’s kitchen made sure their burgers would not be topped with pedestrian condiments. They had on-hand baconnaise, chili, sauteed mushrooms, and caramelized onions. To wash it all down, lemon grass vanilla lemonade, my favourite beverage of the Taste of Wellington.Foodieprints, Ottawa Tonite

“101 Tastes” extravaganza is Ottawa Magazine's list of the city’s must-try foods. All 101 must-try-before-you-die ‘tastes’ are either made in Ottawa or unique to our city.101 Tastes, Ottawa Magazine, 2010 (660K)

"Drinks are always a perfect compliment to bowling, but if you’re doing the mid-day bowl thing, you may prefer brunch and lots of mimosas. However, if you’re dating in the evening the Absinthe Café and Restaurant is not only located right across the street, but also offers a new experience to those who have never had the chance to try the infamous green beverage."Date Night: Absinthe and Bowling

"Pat Garland, Absinthe's executive chef and owner, is a charismatic man with a strong passion for food. Although Absinthe is labelled as a 'French Bistro', I've noticed Asian influences creeping into his dishes such as the use of yuzu, fish sauce, and Sriracha hot sauce."Omnivore's Ottawa Supper Club at Absinthe

I caught up last week with five Ottawa chefs who struck a bargain in March with farmer Ian Walker to raise three Black Angus steers and two Black Angus cows on his organic pastures. Ian calls his program "one chef, one cow."Ron Eade, Ottawa Citizen, 2007

I went to Absinthe restaurant on Wellington Street one night and ordered a New Zealand pinot noir (Te Kairanga). It came to the table at the perfect temperature, and I suddenly realized how rare that had been.Rod Philips, Ottawa Citizen, 2007